Lonnie Jones

This past summer with the assistance from the CLCLT, Lonnie Jones purchased the home he had been renting but was told he would have to leave. In February 2013 Lonnie’s rent was raised and soon after he began to receive letters from the bank stating the house was going into foreclosure. He called the landlord who confirmed his fear and told Lonnie he would need to move. Lonnie had been trying to purchase a home for the past 2 years but was constantly outbid by cash offers. “I was never going to be able to buy a home,” said Lonnie.

Driving in the neighborhood he noticed PRG and decided to stop in to see if they could provide any assistance and they directed Lonnie to the CLCLT. After a number of months of patience and persistance, Lonnie was able to purchase his home. Lonnie wanted to stay in the home because he felt invested in the neighborhood, he knows people there, and his kids are involved in community activities. “I needed someone to believe in me and that I was capable of owning a home,” said Lonnie.

Lonnie has lived in Minneapolis the majority of his life since moving here on his own at the age of 15. After a rough start, Lonnie decided to leave his home in Illinois and ended up living on the streets of South Minneapolis in abandoned hotels fending for himself at a very young age. After a few years though Lonnie knew he needed a change and decided to join the US Marine Corps as a method of survival where he stayed for the next 3 years.

Once out of the Marines, Lonnie had a son, bought a duplex, and was self employed as a contractor doing roofing and remodeling. This type of work was difficult on his body though and eventually the VA deemed him unemployable because of health issues. Lonnie fought this for several years but came to realize it was detrimental to his health and decided to stop working. With this life change, he no longer had the resources to keep his duplex, so he signed it over to his children’s mother and began renting the home he now owns.

The home needed a lot of clean up – 2 full dumpsters to be exact – but Lonnie said the rent was cheap and it was a home for his children. Lonnie is looking forward to giving the home the attention it needs and getting used to the fact that the home is his. “The home has a lot of character and I know I can bring it back to life,” said Lonnie. Had this not happened Lonnie is still unsure of where he would be currently and is excited that he has a home to leave to his kids. “This is an opportunity for me to leave my kids something,” said Lonnie.